Kenneth Fletcher
NS&D Monitor
1/31/2014
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board this week closed a 2009 recommendation on policies and standards related to quantitative risk assessment methodologies in the Department of Energy complex. In December, the Department told the DNFSB numerous steps it had taken to resolve issues in the recommendation “Risk Assessment Methodologies at Defense Nuclear Facilities.” In a letter to DOE this week, DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur wrote: “In your letter dated December 23, 2013, you described actions DOE has taken to address the concerns outlined in the Recommendation. The Board agrees that these actions are sufficient.”
The 2009 DNFSB recommendation noted the need for DOE to develop a policy on the use of quantitative risk assessments for nuclear safety. “Without such a policy, DOE has little basis to accept the validity of existing risk management tools that use quantitative risk assessment,”the Board said, adding, “The continued pursuit of ad hoc applications of risk assessment in the absence of adequate DOE policy and guidance is contrary to the standards-based approach to nuclear safety espoused by DOE and endorsed by the Board.” It included four sub-recommendations calling for a policy on the use of quantitative risk assessment for nuclear safety applications, establishment of requirements and guidance in accordance with the policy, an evaluation of ongoing uses of risk assessment methodologies and a requirement to identify efficiencies and gaps in those processes.
But the Department has implemented improvements since the recommendation. “DOE accepted Recommendation 2009-1 and took the requisite action to improve its infrastructure for ensuring the appropriate use and control of quantitative risk assessments in nuclear safety applications,” states the Dec. 23 letter from DOE to the Board. “This included revising DOE’s Nuclear Safety Policy and developing a new technical standard to provide Departmental policy, criteria and guidance on the development and use of quantitative risk assessments.” DOE has also established the Risk Assessment Technical Experts Working Group, revised DOE Nuclear Safety Policy to address quantitative risk assessment, and issued a complex-wide notice providing interim advice on existing risk assessment policies. DOE also took additional steps, including completing a study on the use of quantitative risk assessment, and developing supplemental training and a new course on the topic.
